Here is the story from: aftenposten
Norwegians woke up Tuesday morning to news that a respected Oslo pre-school teacher, backed by child psychologists, thinks children should be allowed to openly express their own sexuality, not least through sex play and games in the local day care centers known as barnehager, or kindergartens.
The vast majority of Norwegians send their children from the age of one to the kindergartens, where they spend their days until they begin school at age six.
Pia Friis, leader of the popular Bjerkealleen Barnehage in Oslo and a well-known pre-school educator, told newspaper Dagbladet on Tuesday that children should be allowed to express their own sexuality at day care centers. She doesn’t want to stifle what comes naturally.
Children, she said, should be able “to look at each other and examine each other’s bodies. They can play doctor, play mother and father, dance naked and masturbate.
“But their sexuality must also be socialized, so they are not, for example, allowed to masturbate while sitting and eating. Nor can they be allowed to pressure other children into doing things they don’t want to.”
Friis said there’s a lot of uncertainty around how day care center employees should handle children’s sexuality.
“The only thing that is absolutely certain is that children, sooner or later, will play sexual games and examine each other at the kindergarten,” she told Dagbladet. “When the personnel are uncertain, that passes on to the children, and it can be negative.”
The issue is the topic of an article in the latest edition of the magazine published by Norway’s industry association for privately owned kindergartens, PBL-nytt, and Friis thinks it’s important. So do child psychologist Thore Langfeldt and family therapist Jesper Juul.
“Children must learn about sexuality, otherwise things can go very wrong,” said Langfeldt. “Children can’t object to something they don’t know about, and children can more easily and readily report assaults if they already are aware of their own sexuality.”
Juul conceded that “many are disturbed by children’s sexuality, but I think it’s important to put it on the agenda. That, in fact, is what we’re doing.”
While Norwegians are known for being liberal and tolerant, the issue already has sparked heated debate on radio programs and in online opinion forums. And some politicians are outraged, not least those on the conservative side.
“I thought at first that this was a joke,” said Karin Ståhl Woldseth, a spokesman on family issues for the Progress Party.
“Sexual games don’t belong in a kindergarten,” she declared. “Children don’t need more exposure to this in kindergartens. We think it will damage their health.”
……. I almost threw up when I read this. Why would anyone/country allow this kind of disgraceful act in school? The bible says that Sex is a beautiful thing within marriage, and that the marriage Bed is Holy and undefined. – Hebrews 13:4.
I just don’t understand what this world is coming to. What do you guys think about this?
9 Comments
November 14, 2007 at 11:37 pm
I think you are taking the story out of context, which is what I suspect the media is hoping. I’d hope what is being suggested is that by preparing the carers for the situation, they’ll understand how to address it.
Sex isn’t what they are talking about, (I hope) kindegarten children don’t have sex. But I’d suspect they do touch themselves (though I don’t think it would be masturbation) and I am sure they’ll show their private parts. But they don’t really understand anything, so I think it would be wrong to take the wrong approach to it. Which I suspect I’d do if I witnessed that sort of behaviour and I wasn’t trained to expect it.
I think it is this training (as well as a change in attitude) that is being proposed here, not some sort of child-sex-garten!
Of course, conservatives are unlikely to pick up that distinction…
November 22, 2007 at 12:47 pm
I recently read an interesting book titled “Voices of the First Day” by Robert Lawlor. It delves into the Australian Aboriginal society.
Part of what he covers is sexuality. Adults engage in extra-marital affairs. This practice is NOT condoned by the society, nor is it a thing to be punished. They do not have an over population problem.
Children in all societies learn by mimicing adults and it is no different in aboriginal society. The children are allowed to engage in sexual mimicry and as a result they do not have nearly the degree of sex related problems.
It is interesting how western religion has come to view anything related to open expression of sexuality as anti GOD.
November 23, 2007 at 5:08 am
I took a short course in Anthropology, which greatly expanded my mind about other cultures. We learned about cultures in parts of Asia and Africa where the practices were very much–ehm, DIFFERENT. For example, there’s this one tribe where a marriage is practiced, but where the main occupation of the husband is to hunt and provide food, while the woman’s sexual needs are taken care of by the male members of the husband’s immediate family! These guys have sex with the girl more than the husband does, because he’s always out on the hunt. Of course, when one of his brothers gets married, then it’s his turn to fulfill the sexual role that needs to be fulfilled.
Just one example that stuck in my mind because it’s so different. Nothing like being exposed to other cultures to realize that what we have all along thought were absolutes can in fact be looked at in other ways. I’m very receptive to this, by the way, because I’m a Filipino and we have always been told that the white way (specifically American) way of doing things is THE right way. We are now developing our own national consciousness and are beginning to resent and resist this.
I’m not saying that one culture’s way of doing things is better, or that the “white way” is worse. All I’m pointing out is the need to be open to cultural ways, perspectives, and contexts.
Peace!
November 23, 2007 at 7:46 am
“But their sexuality must also be socialized, so they are not, for example, allowed to masturbate while sitting and eating.”
Well, of course, masturbating in the living room is fine, but at the dinner table, that is a definite no-no.
November 27, 2007 at 1:12 pm
I think it’s a really cool idea – what they’re doing. Your body is a wonder, and if children start exploring their bodies at a younger age, so what? if not then then at an age where parents will not be able to stop them, and more problems related to sex occur. I’m sure that children that young will not engage in sexual initercourse.
November 27, 2007 at 4:29 pm
I take it your not a Christian?
November 29, 2007 at 8:00 am
A person may still be Christian or believe in Christianity and hold views apart from the typical.
signed,
November 30, 2007 at 11:43 pm
Are you sure this was in a newspaper? Because it sure sounds like it came from Ann Rand. The only part that’s missing is the happy pills. A brave new world indeed.
December 2, 2007 at 7:53 am
One thing is for certain; people don’t become perverts, porn addicts or sex crime offenders without first being involved in a very destructive cycle of indulging the flesh. The younger in life the cycle begins, the worse the outcome will be.